The name Alaska originates from an Aleut word "Alyeska," meaning "great land." The Aleuts are people inhabiting the Aleutian Islands and western Alaska. Many state names trace their origin to native American languages. The name Alaska was introduced in the Russian colonial period when it was used to refer to the Alaska Peninsula. It was derived from an Aleut-language idiom, *alaxsxaq*, meaning "the mainland" or, more literally, "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed." The name has remained significant, reflecting the vast and rugged nature of the state.
